Heads up, St. Augustine drivers—your ParkNow Cards are about to become nothing more than plastic souvenirs. The City of St. Augustine has officially announced that come this September 30, at the stroke of 9:00 pm, those cards won't be worth a dime at city pay stations, lots, or the Historic Downtown Parking Facility. The reason? Outdated card reader technology that's bidding its farewell. If you've got a balance left on that card, now's the time to use it up.
Assistant City Manager Reuben Franklin shed some light on the city's transition away from the plastic parking past. "In 2023, we began this process by rolling out the license plate registration for St. Johns County residents so they could still benefit from the discount," Franklin remarked in a statement. So, if you're holding onto a ParkNow Card, make sure you get those license plates registered online pronto. After all, October 1 will be here before you know it, as per City of St. Augustine.
Here's how the new system works for locals: Drive up to a surface lot or parking space, punch in your registered license plate number into the city's parking kiosk, and voilà—your resident discount is applied. Plan on parking in the garage? Even easier. The electronic license plate reader’s got your number (literally) and will hook you up with that St. Johns County sweet deal automatically.
Our love affair with the tangible parking validation may be coming to an end, but it seems St. Augustine's affair with technology and convenience is just heating up. Remember to mark your calendar and make the tech leap to keep that parking discount in your pocket. Your car and your wallet will thank you.
